Fennel

The more I learn about food, the more I am absolutely sure that food has been placed here on this earth for a much greater purpose than to merely keep us alive. Food can heal. The more we learn and understand about the incredible supply of food that we have been given, the greater ability we will have to heal our ailing bodies naturally and to prevent further disease. I am sure of it. Absolutely.

I love to pick apart one food at a time and today's little adventure in food is going to be centered on fennel. Most of you may have never in your life ever purchased a fennel let alone knew what it looked like. Read on and you may want to pick one up next time you go to the market.

Italian's know what's up with fennel. It is very common for fennel to be served at the end of a meal. Why? Well fennel aids in digestion. If you have paid attention to me at all in my years of blog lectures, you will know that digestion is very important to me. If you can't digest it, it will not help you; in fact, it can harm you. You need to be able to get the food processed as intended and fennel can help you do just that.

The alkalinity of fennel aids in digestion and helps to metabolize the fat in food. There is a male and a female fennel. The male is taller, more slender in appearance while the female has a wider base. Go figure. The male is better for digestion as it is less fibrous. But, we may not be able to be so picky at our stores. Any fennel will be helpful.

Another great attribute of fennel is it's ability to stimulate estrogen production. It is great for those with PMS problems or those going through menopause or low estrogen count. It can help ease cramps and menopausal disorders.

Fennel oil is great for skin. It is helpful for tightening skin and in treating oily skin. It is great as a moisturizer especially with coconut oil. It has been used for centuries in Europe for skin health.

Fennel can also help to detoxify the liver, uninflame joints and help with rheumatism. It is a natural anti inflammatory, analgesic and laxative.

If you haven't tasted fennel before, it has a licorice sort of taste. It is used in flavorings for toothpastes and mints and as a scent in soaps and perfumes. It is used in Jamaican recipes and spices and is one of my very favorite ingredients in my most favorite Spice Hunter blends, "Jamaican Jerk" spice. I will share more on that later.

You can get this as an essential oil so you can massage some right on the stomach for digestion issues or cramps or take some internally under the tongue. It is great to keep on hand when you travel.

Fennel oil is an inexpensive oil at $15. I have a couple on hand for any takers. There is also a special blend of digestive oils called Di-gest that has fennel along with a few other great digestive oils. It is especially helpful for those little colicky babies. It is $26 per bottle. My kids know what to do if they have an upset stomach and they swear by rubbing these oils on their stomachs. They smell like a stick of liquorice but they get instant relief.

I love not having to use medicine. We haven't touched a tums in years. Once again, use what grows and you will need nothing else. Promise.

A Coughless Night....

Long before I became a student of the Essential Oils, I found the Vick's Baby Rub for the little stuffy nosed kids during the night. It opens them up and helps them sleep just a little better during those rough nights. I am sure many of you have tried this and have a little jar in your medicine cabinet. Since I started with oils, I am a fan of the eucalyptus, lavender and Exchange oil to help. I haven't touched this little jar since. But...I received an email from a friend the other day talking about the vapor rub for coughs. It just so happened that Tate started coughing that day. The email said to rub the vapor rub on the souls of the feet and then put socks on. It will knock the cough out. It works with my oils, but, for the sake of my readers who don't prescribe to the oils, I thought I would take it upon myself to be the test case.

I put it on when Tate was sleeping and already coughing. I massaged it into the balls of his feet, the chest reflexology point for 5 minutes or so. I put on the socks and left the room. Within minutes, he no longer coughed and did not cough for the entire night. I did so the next night and not a cough in site as soon as it was applied. As you probably know, cough medicine is not only horrible for you but doesn't work for kids anyways. This is such a better way to go!

So, what is in this vapor rub? Eucalyptus oil, lavender, coconut oil. It is the poor girls essential oil kit. I don't like that it has a petroleum oil base but at least it is on the feet and not in the mouth. I will still use my pure oils but for those of you who aren't going that route, I have tried it out. It works! It is cheap. Thanks, Mary Ann for the tip!

Warts. The End.

Many of you may know this story. Kids with warts. Dermatologist. Warts keep getting bigger, you keep paying dermatologist. Visit dermatologist for years. Warts keep getting bigger, fingers scarred. Teenagers particularly unhappy about this. Still has warts.

If you happen to be on the same page as me, I need to let you in on a little secret that these high paid dermatologists aren't telling you. Maybe it is the fact that this little secret cost about $1.50 for a year's supply and they would be out of a job in the wart department. Whatever it is, I am going to let you in on it. Maybe I can save you from the years of wart treatment torture and needless bucks thrown down the drain. Here is the rest of the story.

I went through this with my daughter first. It took us two years of the dermatologist every two weeks. Seriously. She had over 50 injections of chemo medication in the warts. Some helped, overall, they kept popping up. Finally, I put her on L.Lysine which the Dr.'s never told me about and one day, they were all gone. Then, my son started to get them. He, being of teenage years and eager to impress the ladies, was none to happy about this situation. I started him on lysine. It didn't work for him. There are different types of warts. So, we went to the dermatologist. They froze some. He had a giant crater in his knuckle that scarred big time. He was very displeased about this. We kept coming back. They would just get bigger. So, I went to the oils. The lemongrass made them swell up. That is what is supposed to happen as it pulls the virus out of the wart. My son did not like this and was sure that I didn't know what I was doing. The big problem with this was that the lemongrass turned his skin in the area applied yellow. I didn't do this for my other kids but somehow reacted to his chemistry. He would not stick with it. He was miserable and was sure that he would forever be covered in warts. I went online. Surely there is an answer.

I read about the ever faithful APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. After all, there is a million uses for this stuff. It is the cure all. The many different websites say to put some of the Apple cider vinegar on a piece of a cotton ball the size of the wart. Saturated but not dripping. Put it on the wart and cover it with a band aide. Sleep with it. Remove it in the morning and do it over and over until it is gone. It made the wart swell up, turn crusty, red, black, etc. It didn't look great. But.... in a weeks time, the wart is dissolving. It is being eaten away. Dead. I couldn't believe it. It smells horribly but one wart at a time, we are killing them. The best part is that it kills it at the roots, not just the top so it won't keep growing back. Just some little apple cider vinegar. Shame on you dermatologist for letting us get sucked into your little game.


APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: $1.50

BAND AIDS and COTTON BALLS: $5.00

WARTS GONE AND TEENAGER HAPPY: PRICELESS!!!



the end

Got Warts? Croup? Headaches?

I have been busy testing out oils for you all and I have a few new favorites. But first, if any of you would like a list of oil uses emailed to you, let me know. It is a couple hundred pages of symptoms so you can look up what oils you would want to try. They are great reference pages. You can go to the Forever Green link on the right to look up the oil price or email me. I can mail out of state also. Forever green also has some great packages right now to save on oils. I love the first aide kit that has 7 oils in it. It is a great starter and saves you almost $40. They have the Eucalyptus on back order right now but it should be in this week. Now, on to my new favorites.

Lemongrass

We have a few children with wart problems in my house. We see a dermatologist and can't seem to get rid of them. There are a couple different oils for warts, depending on the type of wart, but for the general raised wart, lemongrass is working for us. You want to put it on the wart 2 times a day and it is best if you put it on a cloth or gauze and cover it so it maintains saturation. I made the mistake of putting it on a band aid and covering it. The finger turned orange from the band aide. I would recommend a clear band aide or something else! I have even just been putting the oil directly on the wart and not covering it and they are still shrinking daily. I am sure this is a slower process but works for the lazy person. I am impressed, and... it smells great!

Exchange

I am sure many of you are up at night with little ones with croup, coughs or general congestion. It is the time of year. I also have a child with asthma so anything regarding the chest is an issue for us. I have decided to take my son off all asthma medication this year as it is very hard on the liver. However, since asthma has landed him in the hospital a good 4 times a year, this had to be a gradual process. It has taken me two years, but we just kicked the last of the meds and he is asthma free. He has been for two years. I owe it to liver cleanse, vitamin B, Spice of Life and exchange. You need to keep them healthy to begin with so if they do sink to the asthmatic level, they don't sink so low. Boost them up. Hopefully this eliminates the problem altogether but if they hit the low, exchange is a good blend for lung issues. You can also make a tea with peppermint, lemon, eucalyptus. One drop each. Add warm water, a little honey and sip. For the little croup kids, you can ever so tenderly go rub some exchange on their chests and throats when they are sleeping to help them open up. You can also use eucalyptus and even across the bridge of their noses. I hold my hand above their nose for a bit so they can inhale it. It works great. Infants can use this but weaken in a bit in some coconut oil.

Lavender

Lavender is a great calming oil. It has so many uses, one of the most versatile of them all. It is an antiseptic, calming oil to help with anxiety and depression, headaches and migraines, hypertension and earaches. Great for throat infections, bronchitis, asthma, sinus congestion and provides allergy relief. Helps stimulate production of gastric juices and aids in digestion. I love it for its calming effects. Put a few drops in a bath, rub some on the soles of the feet of the little colic child or toddler who needs to relax a bit. It will help the asthmatic calm down in an attack. It is great for headaches especially when mixed with peppermint and rubbed on the forehead and the back of the neck. It is a natural insect repellent and helps with bites and stings. It is a great oil to have on hand.


I am placing an order this week if anyone is interested to save on shipping. The cost is as follows:

Lemongrass $20
Exchange: $29
Lavender: $24
First aide kit: $110
(includes Lavender, peppermint, lemon, eucalyptus, tea tree, spice of life and fysical thera p)

I can order anytime if you want to order at a later date, just let me know. Check out the website and look at all the oils. Great stuff!

Liver Cleanse FYI...

Just a quick note on the liver cleanse for those of you starting the journey.... make sure that if you are taking medication that you wait 2 hrs after you take the cleanse in the morning. I was reminded about this in our fabulous class tonight! It was wonderful. Thanks, Terri! I am making another order in the morning if you want anything without paying the shipping cost. Let me know.

The Liver Cleanse....

The liver is a massive organ that is the first line of defense against all the toxins and poisons that surround us. The liver produces vital digestive juices that help us to digest our food properly and clean our blood. As we know, our world is full of harsh and dangerous chemicals that we intake daily in our food, our air and in our water. The liver does its best to clean our systems of these toxins but it can only do so much before it is overloaded and needs to be cleaned out itself, much like our air conditioning filters. Can you imagine if you never cleaned your car air filter? The car would only work at a minimal level and the engine could suffer severe damage. So it is with our bodies. Our liver needs to be cleaned or the toxins are stored and our bodies react. We may be suffering such things as fatigue, rashes, depression, obesity, hormonal imbalances, PMS, allergies, jaundice , nausea, headaches, drowsiness after eating, weak muscles and difficulty loosing weight just to name a few. For my family, allergies are a big problem around here. I have been excited to start the liver cleanse to help clear us of these problems. If the liver can work properly, toxins are cleared and allergies are diminished. We shouldn't have allergies. They are a by product of an unhealthy body and environment. I have learned this with Tate as we have fixed his eczema by cleaning out his damaged body and stomach. Now , many foods that once triggered allergies do not pose that problem any longer. His body is much healthier and can get rid of the problems.

We all started the liver cleanse this week officially after starting and stopping a few times. It takes commitment. You need to stay on it for at least 28 days, resting a week and continuing again. Depending on how toxic your body is, you may want to stay on it for a year or more, perhaps even forever. As the liver begins to be cleansed, you feel pretty horrible for a little while. So far, Randi and I and are the ones with the worse side effects. Randi has a sore throat and swollen glands, I feel like I have the stomach flu and am extremely tired. I know it is worth it. Already I have noticed a decrease in allergies. I line up the cups every morning for their liver cleanse cocktail. You must drink it on an empty stomach, first thing.No one is very excited but they drink it down. We follow it with a lick of spice of life and a neti pot cleanse. It is our goal to have another sick free winter. I'll keep you posted.

Here's how you do it:

1 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 drop lemon oil

1 drop peppermint oil

a little purified water just to dilute it a bit.

Drink up! You can add some honey if you need to for the little ones. For those little ninos who have a hard time drinking the cocktail down, you can put the peppermint oil and lemon oil on their feet and putting some lemon juice in their smoothie. It isn't quite as effective but still helps. You need a good quality oil. If you don't buy the pure oil, you never know how the oil has been processed. Many are processed chemically and who wants to add more chemicals to your body when you are trying to get them out in the first place? That is why I support forever green products. I have 8 sets available this week if anyone is interested. It is $35 total for both oils combined, lemon and peppermint (the set will be $40 when I am out of these 8 extra oils, I was able to get a rebate for making such a big order this week so I used that to pay the shipping and tax, next order I won't have that luxury and will have to charge you) . Both of those oils are great to have on hand for other uses as well including:

Peppermint oil: relaxes and soothes; anti inflammatory, eases menstrual cramps, muscular aches and pains, sciatica, arthritis, toothache, sinusitis, mastitis, relieves itching with eczema. Stops pain from bites and injury. Cleanses and purifies. Helps with acne and gingivitis. Tightens capillaries, stimulates white blood cells to strengthen immune system infections, can relieve morning sickness and aid in labor an delivery.

Lemon Oil: Helps decongest the chest, anti-viral to work on colds and flus, assists in weight reduction, helps reduce cellulite and improves circulation. It is also great to clean with.

For me, I have personally had great effects with these oils. I love to add the lemon with some orange oil to clean with in a few cups water in a spray bottle. I also used the peppermint in some water to stop a stomach ache and on my temples to stop a head ache. They smell great and have great effects by just sniffing them alone. I love these oils. I am continually impressed by all the oils that I have used. I have hopes to have all medicines cleared out of my cabinets and having only oils for my first aide.

Let me know who wants some. I will have them in this week. Also, if any of you have certain symptoms and want to know what oils you should use, email me and I will let you know.

How to "Neti" and why?

I hope you all had a great Halloween. I already feel horrible from the bit of chocolate I consumed last night. My children came home with a year supply of candy much to my dismay. I have tried to convince them that we should just pitch it all but I am accused of being a kin to the dad on the new version of Willie Wonka ,sucking all the fun out of Halloween. I know I consumed loads of the Halloween loot as a child and I am still here alive and kicking but I know too much now and it disgusts me. I know they need their childhood so we will figure something out. Yuck.

Anyways, to the topic of discussion today: How to "Neti"

First, you will need a Neti Pot as pictured above. No, this is not for gravy, it is for your nose. I was first turned on to this ancient practice by my SIL, Laurie who used it for her sinus infection. I read more about it and decided that my family must become netists. We have, and we are converted. For those of you in the dark, let me explain. Neti is the practice of nasal irrigation. It has been used by Yoga Guru's for hundreds if not thousands of years. Yoga practitioners use it to cleanse the energy channels and to promote health and wellness. I am in it for the purpose of helping my little ones get those allergies under control and to ward off any sinus infections. It is a simple process, a form of a bath for those irritated and clogged nasal passages. My poor little ones suffer from allergies and I hear the constant sniffing or snorting all during the night from their irritated noses. After the first night, the sniffs were silent. Here is how it goes:

You fill the pot with 8 oz of warm water and 1/4 tsp salt. You tip your nose up to one side over the sink and tilt neti pot slightly. The water will go in through one side and out the other bringing with it mucous and irritating pollutants. It is a bit weird at first but after you get the hang of it, it feels very soothing. I did it and I felt like I could breath in better than ever. My nose felt cleansed and moist. My children are converts as well. We cleanse them nightly and have noticed a big difference. If you think about it, the nose is a filter to the body but so much gets trapped inside . We must cleanse the filter now and then to keep the germs and allergens from brewing. By doing this, we can ward off so many infections and illnesses. The pots are cheap and can be purchased at any health store. I bought mine through Azure Standard which I blogged about last month. It was about $1o. I love it and will be a Netist for life!

Keeping it Clean.....

I have mentioned before that I was going to go all organic, and, I meant it ,but I think I am finally there. It is all baby steps like you all know and now is the time for me. I don't know why I haven't taken the full plunge, of course other than the fact that it is expensive and not always easy to find, but, I feel much better now. I don't think I would have fully embraced it if Tate wasn't autistic. His tests show he is full of pesticides so if I am spending thousands of dollars on his Dr.s, why not a buck more a pound for apples? I tried the organic basket from Bountiful Baskets but was disappointed when my basket yielded 5 heads of ice burg lettuce and 5 enormous bell peppers to name a few. If I was going to spend the money, I wanted a little more variety. The local grocery stores are very expensive and they don't carry a whole lot. My little farmers market up the street carries some good produce but I wanted more. I finally tried out the farmers market on Friday mornings in Mesa. It is outside the Mesa Community Center on University and Center. I loved it. It is small but has what you need. The big booth is run by a farmer from Queen Creek. They had local pears, apples , potatoes and much more. I filled up my bag for only 10 bucks. I swear it all tastes so much better. My little boy loved it because they had baby goats there to pet. You just feel healthy being there. Next time I will need to bring my "going green" bags and wear my tie die shirt with my hemp beads. I was a little out of place. (I really don't have hemp beads or tie die shirts, I swear.) I have also placed my first Azure Standard order, see prior blog, and I can't wait to get my order. They have some great deals. I feel like with some good shopping skills and new shops, I can get my produce for not much more than what I am paying at the stores for the regular produce.

For any of you out there concerned about the pesticides but not quite ready to increase your grocery bill, here is a good spray to help rinse some of the pesticides off. I was given this by my friend, Abby Runyan. Thanks fellow organic Mommy!

1 c. water

1 c. white distilled vinegar

1 T. baking soda

20 drops grapefruit seed extract

Mix all in a big container then transfer to a spray bottle. Spray on produce and rinse well after 5-10 minutes.